What We do

2024 International Day for the Elimination of VAW

Nov 25, 2024

FROM INTENT TO IMPLEMENTATION:

ACTION ON GENDER BASED VIOLENCE POST CHOGM 2024

Ending violence against women and girls, which rose sharply during COVID-19, is one of the four Commonwealth priorities on gender equality. Recognizing its economic costs, we need concerted and coordinated action for addressing Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the workplace, in supply chains, in communities and at home, and beyond, including the way in which it feeds off and contributes to power imbalances ensuring also that those most vulnerable are protected.
We welcome the statements in the Communiqué from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa on 25-26 October 2024 that ‘Heads recognised that conflict, climate change, the digital environment, and negative social norms and behaviours may hinder progress on achieving gender equality and eliminating gender-based violence, and committed to promote the empowerment and rights of women and girls, including by working in partnership with and supporting civil society and women’s rights’ and that ‘Heads committed to employ evidence-based approaches to eliminating gender-based violence, and to oppose all forms of discrimination, be they gender-based or otherwise.’ These statements provide a stronger foundation to move forward in key areas.
We were encouraged by the strong turnout and support at our CHOGM side event which focused on three key areas and called for a joined-up approach to address GBV. This highlighted the need to:-

  • Advocate for more Commonwealth countries to ratify ILO Convention 190 and the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.
  • Work with key ministries and stakeholders to facilitate the ratification and implementation of ILO Convention 190.
  • Promote the development of gender-responsive policies and support systems to address gender-based violence in the workplace.
  • Utilise the CEDAW Committee platform to actively involve more countries that are not engaged enough on the issue of violence against women and girls.

On this UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we the undersigned commit to stronger and enhanced collaboration on GBV, including at UN CSW69, between the undersigned Commonwealth Accredited Organisations and with member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat moving from articulating the challenge to advancing action on its solutions – and from intent to implementation.


Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN)
Soroptimist International (SI)
Commonwealth Women’s Network (CWN)
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)
Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA)
Commonwealth Trade Union Group (CTUG)
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
Rotary International